1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a job processing in an information processing apparatus for generating a print job based on a drawing command entered from an application software and such generated print job to a printing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A prior printing system, for executing a printing operation by outputting image drawing data from an upper apparatus to a printing apparatus utilizing a color or monochromatic electrophotographic process, has been constructed as shown in FIG. 13.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a prior art network printing system.
Referring to FIG. 13, an upper apparatus (generally a host computer) 301, 302 or 303 is provided with a mother board, connected with a hard disk, a RAM, a display, a keyboard, a data transfer I/F, and a network board or a network adaptor 307, 308 or 309 capable of controlling a network protocol corresponding to a network 300. The host computer system 301 is provided, in addition to the network adaptor 307, with a local port, which can be connected to a local printer by means of a bi-directional I/F cable.
On the other hand, a main body 304, 305 or 306 of a printing apparatus of electrophotographic process is respectively provided with a video controller 310, 311 or 312 and an engine controller 313, 314 or 315, or a controller integrating a video controller and an engine controller.
If an application software functioning in the host computer serving as the upper apparatus is used to execute printing, for example, a document of 11 pages by designating plural copies (N copies) from the application software or from a user interface for print setting of the printing system, a print job including drawing information of a page and a copy number N as one of print information associated therewith are entered from the application software to the printing system, which in response generates a print job containing N pages and transfers such job to the connected printing apparatus as shown in FIG. 14A.
Also a certain application software in advance generates a print job including N pages for entry into the printing system, which transfers it in the form of a print job including N pages as shown in FIG. 14A.
FIGS. 14A and 14B are a conceptual view showing an example of job transfer process in a prior network printing system as shown in FIG. 13.
In the aforementioned case shown in FIG. 14A, the printing can be executed with a maximum speed specific to a printing engine in the connected printing apparatus, unless the drawing information of a page is extremely large, namely unless a long time is required for generating the drawing information.
However, in a certain specified application software functioning on the upper apparatus, if a document of 1 page is printed by designating plural copies (N copies) from the application software or from a user interface for print setting of the printing system, the application software may generate N print jobs each containing drawing information of 1 page for entry into the printing system, as shown in FIG. 14B.
In such case, also the printing system transfers N print jobs in succession to the connected printing apparatus.
Also in the printing apparatus utilizing the electrophotographic process, receiving the plural print jobs from the upper apparatus, there may be generally executed a control of resetting the printing engine at a partition between-the jobs, for executing a toner fixing control (e.g., temperature increase/decrease control of a fixing device).
Therefore, in a continuous printing of plural pages (N pages), it has not been possible to execute the printing at a maximum speed specific to the printing engine.